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At any time one can delete their compositions in this thread. Though this is not nice, there might be reasons to do so. However, be aware that after some time has passed you can NOT edit your post, in which case you'll need to delete the file from the servers.

If you have troubles uploading, finding webspace, offering or htmling, just let me know. I'm only a PM away, or an email away. It's very easy to get a hold of me!

And if you want, offer your insights on your own works. Offer the score, or the recording. Offer both, or offer your ideas as well. Write as much as you'd like, or as little. Share with us your thoughts about your own works... and when you're done with that, share your thoughts and your feedback about the works of others. Offer and receive!

Inspired by Ed's quartet, I thought I'd also post a string quartet! It's in a completely different style than his, and was composed quite a few years ago, but none the less I think it holds plenty of interest!

Since you've enjoyed it, give it another couple of listens, if you can... Perhaps it will sink in.

I definitely will. I understand the importance of this. In fact, I once showed my mom Chopin's 4th scherzo and she said she didn't like it and quote: "It doesn't know what kind of piece it wants to be..."

.......... ..........

Not even I, the biggest Chopin-head on earth, liked the 4th scherzo on my first few listens. And now it's my favorite piece!

My first contribution here. I have written music intermittently for 27 years, but still feel like a beginner. I was startled and a bit chagrined to recently realize that I had never actually used Sonata Form before.

In addition, I have rarely written for piano. My first instrument was drums! I do play guitar but mainly compose at the laptop.

Since I am not so versed at piano, I could probably use some advice for the score.

First, I don't have a clear idea of the difficulty of the piece. There are several places where I suspect that it would be easiest to recruit the left hand to assist with the treble part, using pedal to sustain the bass. If this is true, should I alter the score to reflect that, or maybe just simplify the music.

Second, I don't have a great understanding of the pedal, and in any case, my software doesn't seem capable of pedal markings. Is it OK just to trust the performer here? A couple places where I thought ties would be messy, I just marked "let ring" and hoped that the performer can decide whether to sustain with fingers or foot.

Theme-wise, I wonder if the development section is sufficiently "developy". It spends quite a while on material from the intro, which appears again in the coda. But relatively little time breaking down themes A and B.

In general, I think I will be using this Sonata Form a lot in the future! Can't believe I have neglected it so long!

First of all very much welcome to the forums and to this thread specifically!

Secondly, that's a nice composition there... There's quite some interest in the harmony going on although rhythmically it's a bit dull, if you allow me to say so... The performance is a bit 'meh'... And it's drowned in reverb, but in any case it gives a very clear understanding on what's going on...

Now to your music and your questions then...

The one thing that hit me immediately was that there wasn't enough difference between theme A and theme B. It felt a bit the same (and I think that the rhythm is more to blame here than anything else).

Apart from that there's enough development so that's fine... It is a sonata, albeit a little bit weird, but still it counts as one!

On your questions on the score: It's SO clean, it's supper clean, yet there are several things that could be altered:

1. First of all, in reality the 8bv sign is not needed, as you don't really venture too far down. You could just deleted the whole 8vb sign and put the notes one octave lower. As I understand it you're not a pianist, and as such you're probably not used to too many low notes, but most pianist are fine with these...

If you are to use the 8vb sign, it should be BELLOW the staff, not above (because only the 8va sign goes there)...

2. Dynamics should be bigger and only once in the middle. Unless you want to be super specific and have different dynamics for each hand, but chances are that either way the pianist won't follow that, for the type of music you offer (meaning that other types of music can be super detailed (like serialistic stuff), but yours is not such music...).

3. Some things like double dotted notes, should be broken down differently: A half note tied to a dotted quarter note. It's easier for the eye.

4. There's no need for pedal markings. A lot of piano scores do not include such instructions and it's fine, since a lot of the times the pianists will just use their instincts to add the sustain pedal where needed.

5. You shouldn't alter the score to reflect the use of the pedal, I think it's fine as it is. It gives a very clear and detailed idea, on where to use the pedal, so that's a plus for me.

Finally, I think that the piece is definitely not too difficult, but if there's one thing that makes things a bit more difficult is the use of the G# minor and all the double sharps (which are rightfully there)...

In a fit of bad judgment, I added the reverb at the last minute. Next time I will refrain, or at least take it down a notch!

Great insight on better differentiating themes A and B. Though I guess I am likely "done" with this piece, I will take it to heart for the next one.

We agree there's "enough" development (duration wise), but I think next time I will aim for a more traditional treatment. I am usually content with a weird result, but not if it’s because of inability to do it the normal way!

Very reassuring to know about tolerance for bass ledger lines – is there a realistic cut-off point? I will remove the 8vb, especially since my software does not allow repositioning it. I wasn't aware of its proper location, so thanks for that!

Not sure if I can get the software to suppress the dynamics below the second staff, but I’ll have a look, and certainly bump the font size.

I will remove the double dots! Visually, my personal preference is for fewer noteheads, but of course the whole point of notation is to communicate efficiently and the double dots defeat that.

I did consider signing A Flat Minor – it would eliminate many of the double accidentals and maybe show modulatory relationships to flat keys more clearly, but all I could think was ugh, seven flats.

I know nothing about traditional forms of any sort so I am not fit to comment on that, Eric. Funnily enough I quite like the quirky rhythm, which has an improvisational sound to it. I would have tended to stick in a really contrasting idea or two and let rip a bit more but that is just me. I look forward to hearing more of your music.

_________________________
"It is inadvisable to decline a dinner invitation from a plump woman." - Fred Hollows

But yes this is fine. If only I had the time I'd put in the effort to make your scores more eligible in Finale of Sibelius, but alas I'm so busy now that it would be unfair to anyone else really... But I think that, at least for this score, things are less complicated than the other: It's a single page!

Thanks for listening Nikolas, and for your kind intention regarding my scores. I think anybody interested enough to want to play it could do so with the help of the recording, wrong notes and all ! When in doubt go by the recording applies to all my music, as I am usually better at the instrument than I am with with pen and paper.

_________________________
"It is inadvisable to decline a dinner invitation from a plump woman." - Fred Hollows

This is an early intermediate piece. The theme is a prison song from when there were chain gangs. I tried to capture the echo and the sound of chains while the prisoners worked. Please disregard the musescore music realization, it's hardly what it should be.

Both are in C major. By making relatively minor differences in tempo, and tone, give me a different mood.

My second new upload is a meditation improvisation, in D flat major. There were recent threads on composing New Age music, and another on working with a Pentatonic scale. This improvised piece fits both:

prenex: Only recently I found time to listen to your work, so sorry for the lack of activity here...

It's a very interesting tune actually.I can see that it fits perfectly the mood and the aesthetics of what you call "Prison song". In fact it's so catchy that I get a feeling that I've heard it elsewhere (without this meaning that I'm accusing of anything or that I actually remember anything like that).

Here is a composition from last year intended as a real tour de force, especially at tempo in the ff-ffff section. Some here who like compositions that are stamina building/testing might enjoy it.

I am open to all manner of observation, commentary and criticism.

As it is a high quality scan of the autograph viewing seems to work best outside of a web browser - i.e., one can see the score clearly by right-clicking on this link and then clicking on save as, et c.

Second, I don't have a great understanding of the pedal, and in any case, my software doesn't seem capable of pedal markings. Is it OK just to trust the performer here? A couple places where I thought ties would be messy, I just marked "let ring" and hoped that the performer can decide whether to sustain with fingers or foot.

Hi Eric,

For pedal notation - and this just is how I do things - where full use of the pedal must be there for the sonority one can use the traditional "Ped. *" notation.

Pedalling can be unbelievably complex so for anything other than a fully applied pedal, or where the damper pedal is wanted to be fully applied but with variety, I write "con Pedale" and leave it up to the performer's pedalling abilities, interpretation and discretion.

If one isn't sure exactly when, where and/or to what extent the damper pedal may best be used, there is "Ped. ad libitum".

As well there is "senza Pedale" for when the composer absolutely wants no use of the damper pedal.

I didn't take a close look at the score (I am overloaded with responsibilities at the moment) but realized that I could do an impromptu post here - maybe it is useful.

With me, pedalling notation is the most challenging aspect of writing out a composition . . . so you are not alone in wrestling with the issue!

Sand tiger: Your meditation was very very calming and... meditative actually. These vibes did their job. The pattern on the background also worked nicely, though it was uneven: I've heard some lovely percussionists playing the kalimba and it reminded me of exactly that!

Welcome to PianoWorld, first of all. It's very nice to see some new blood here!

I liked the idea of your composition. That single bar towards the end have some interesting stuff...

If I was to say anything to you, based on this manuscript (which means that you should NOT take my opinion seriously in any case), that would be that you seem a tiny bit too hooked with the system you worked out, rather than the music itself. Like you've created in your head a sort of an algorithm and won't escape it.

Not sure if the above is right or wrong, I think you can shed some light to this, but I hope you don't mind me guessing like that!

Yes, it is a rather relentless piece of music and is focused on a particular mood experienced during the initial flight to Sweden several years ago for what has become permanent residence. Maybe as well with the need to verify after having not composed in several years that I could still turn out something acceptable to myself there was a tremendous pent-up energy compressed into the tremolos.

Somehow that relentless kinetic energy and fury seemed appropriate at the time of composition.

Thanks for having a look it - and for your honest commentary.

I do need to grow and expand as a composer, and since composing Resan till Sverige have been working at that task . . . but preparation for a restart of piano recitals this year is beginning taking time away from composition (and I haven't performed in ten years and was not a full time performer in the past, so it needs some getting used to!).

A new life with new, truly constructive musical purposes that will give to others is what is happening . . . so thanks again for your honest input as I go down this path.

Some 15 years ago I was asked by a friend playing with a Symphonic Rock band to compose a "String Quartet piece" based on the chords F/ C/ Dm/ BbThe project was later abandoned by the initiators, but I actually managed to complete a 2 minute piece, using a step recording technique in my computerAn EMU Proteus 2 synthesizer module was used as sound source.The data was lost in a hard drive crash but fortunately I found a dusty copy on a cassette tape the other day. Sorry for the poor quality

This is quite nice. Very tonal, even for you! But it's evidence that you can think vertically and contrapuntally enough! The sound is also quite nice, given that it's an older Proteus 2 (which however was considered at the time brilliant). And even more so that you did a step recording (yikes!!!!!).

Wish I had kept the Proteus module. My attempts to reconstruct the piece has been less successful because I have no access to suitable string sounds.Guess I could track down a second hand Proteus for less money than the cost of corresponding modern software hmm..

I have listened to your String Quartet as well as the Superabimus piece at your website and I find your music interesting and exciting. (Not to mention far less predictable ;-)

prenex: Only recently I found time to listen to your work, so sorry for the lack of activity here...

It's a very interesting tune actually.I can see that it fits perfectly the mood and the aesthetics of what you call "Prison song". In fact it's so catchy that I get a feeling that I've heard it elsewhere (without this meaning that I'm accusing of anything or that I actually remember anything like that).

The chain is also an interesting idea...

Thanks for sharing.

Hi Nikolas, thank you. This is essentially an arrangement of a song that survived from the old slave days. (that's a conjecture)

I wrote it so my kid has something to play outside of the standard repertoire.